Damian and Mar'i
by Quinis
Summary: There's a visitor to the Penthouse in Wayne Tower. Damian does not approve. Mar'i does not care for spoiled bullies. Dick really wishes they could just get along.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** So, this story has been sitting half-completed on my computer for a while. I decided to post it next, even though a young Mar'i and angry Damian can be hard to write. Damian's about eleven in this story and Mar'i is seven/eight. Takes place during Dick and Damian's run as Batman and Robin.

* * *

 **Damian and Mar'i**

* * *

The little girl had long dark hair and full green eyes. She stood there in a little purple dress, looking around the Batbunker hidden under Wayne Tower with curious eyes and twitchy fingers.

The full green eyes and orange-tanned skin betrayed her alien heritage.

"What is an alien doing here, Grayson?" Damian demanded to know. The little girl frowned at him and gripped the leg of Dick's pants.

 _Scaredy-cat,_ Damian deduced. He scowled as Grayson gave him a smile and knelt down. He placed his arms around the girl's shoulders and brought her forward.

"This is Mar'i," Dick said in his warm calming way, "Mar'i Grayson, my daughter."

Now, this was a surprise. Damian's eyes widened a little as he looked between the girl and his mentor.

Grayson had a kid? He was a father? Damian had heard nothing about that. He knew that Dick had an alien girlfriend at one point in time but not that they had a kid together.

"Mar'i, this is Damian Wayne. He's my brother, Grandpa Bruce's son and the current Robin."

The girl, Mar'i, gave him a curious look, tilting her head to one side. Damian felt like he was being examined and he didn't like it.

"Stop staring!" he barked at her. She shrunk back a little, her eyes narrowing.

"Damian," Grayson said in warning. "Play nice. Mar'i will be staying for a few days because I couldn't leave Gotham to see her."

"Why wasn't I informed about this?" he questioned, his voice rising in annoyance. He was Grayson's partner and the son of Batman! He should be informed whenever there was someone staying in the Tower, especially when they would be given access to the Batbunker below! And Grayson was a fool for bringing a little girl down here anyway, even if he claimed she was his daughter. "-tt- I wasn't even aware that you had fathered offspring."

Mar'i frowned in confusion and looked to her father for answers. Grayson smiled at her and placed a hand on her head.

"Don't mind him," he told her. "Damian is a little like your mother in that he speaks formally."

"I speak in a way which is befitting of my class and status," Damian responded.

Dick smirked, "but he's your 'Uncle Damian'."

"What?"

"Well, you are my little brother and Mar'i is my daughter. So, you are her uncle. Uncle Damian!"

Mar'i looked between her father and Damian. A smile mirroring her father's grew on her face.

"Uncle Dami!" she repeated, smirking at him. Damian realised that he needed to end this now.

"Do not call me that!" he yelled at her. "I am not your uncle! We do not share blood and I refuse to associate with you!" And he turned and walked out; so much for patrol but he wasn't going to stay and be insulted by Grayson and the little Grayson.

He ignored Grayson's calls for him to come back.

* * *

No matter what Grayson was saying, he was not 'sulking'. He was merely engaging in his own company and analysing recent events while taking precautions to ensure that no one could disturb him.

Unfortunately, his father's household was not one where a locked door could keep the truly curious out. His mother's wasn't either but at least most were too afraid to cross him and he could kill any foolish enough to breach his private sanctum.

He locked the door and jammed it with a chair. Then, he turned to the window to see the little Grayson outside his window. She knocked and he frowned and shook his head, moving to close the curtains.

He didn't see her shrug and decide to enter anyway. He only heard the sounds of splintering wood and glass as she punched through his window and flew in anyway.

"What the-?" he screeched as the outside air breezed into his room. "What are you doing, you fool?"

She dropped to the ground and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room with her hands latched behind her back.

"You seemed angry," she said, "and I wanted to check that you were okay with my presence here."

"-tt- I did not particularly care," he said, restraining himself from unleashing his anger upon her. Grayson would not be happy if he damaged his daughter. "Until you came smashing through my window. Do they not have doors where you're from?"

She paused and looked at the window and then at him.

"We do have doors on Tamaran. And windows. We just do not cover our windows with strange see-through stuff." She bent down and picked up a large piece of glass. Damian slapped it out of her hand before she could cut herself.

"It's glass," he hissed.

"It's very breakable," she lamented, looking at the shards of the larger piece she had dropped, which shattered upon hitting the floor.

"Out!" he continued, shoving aside his chair and opening his door. Hands came through and wrapped around him, only releasing a little pressure to also grip Mar'i and pull her close.

Damian's nose twitched as her hair pressed up against his face.

"Grayson!" he protested.

"Dad!" Mar'i protested as well but her voice had a giggle to it.

"I heard a crash and feared the worst," Grayson said, "are you both okay? What happened?"

Damian glared at him while Mar'i stared at her shoes.

"You owe me a new window," he informed his partner. Grayson's eyes widened and he looked to Mar'i.

"What happened?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I-I just wanted to speak with Dami," she responded, "but I didn't realise there was glass-" she said the word uncertainly, testing it out, "there and smashed through it."

"Oh dear," Grayson lamented. "Well, I'll tell Alfred and he'll know what to do. Meanwhile, we better give you a tour."

"As long as Miss Mar'i stays off the chandeliers, unlike her father," Alfred commented, suddenly appearing but startling no one.

* * *

Damian didn't see Grayson or the little Grayson until dinner.

They sat at the table as Alfred served up a roast and vegetables for them, a fuller meal than they had seen in a while. Mostly Dick and Damian ate down in the batbunker while working on cases or maintenance of the bat-equipment, which meant they rarely did this 'sitting and eating together in the dining room' thing.

Damian glared at Mar'i, not doubting for a moment that she was the reason for the alteration to his usual routine of eating down in the batbunker. Mar'i's full green, alien eyes glared back. Her father had told her to be nice to him and she wasn't taking it well.

"-tt- I am not missing out of patrol so you can watch a movie with your illegitimate offspring," Damian grumbled as Grayson suggested a movie for the night's activities.

"I never said you'd be missing out," Grayson countered, "just that patrol might be shorter tonight. Mar'i's only here a few days."

"-tt- I don't care."

"Can I come on patrol, Dad?" Mar'i asked, her eyes widening with eagerness.

Grayson's response was an instantaneous and flat, 'no'.

"Why not?" she demanded to know. Damian almost growled as a finger was shoved in his face. "Damian gets to go!"

"Damian is Robin," Grayson explained in a calm voice, "and I've explained this to you before. The streets of Gotham are not safe and your mother would kill me."

Mar'i sunk back in her chair with another glare for Damian. Damian glared back.

"Weak," he muttered.

"Meanie," she grumbled quietly back.

"Flat chest."

"Am not. I'll be like my mum when I grow up."

"-tt- Delusional too."

"I am not!" Mar'i slammed her hands on the table and floated out of her chair. "I am not del-del-oo-shun-cal!"

Grayson sighed.

"Mar'i sit while you eat and ignore Damian's comments," he said. Damian smirked but then Grayson turned to him with that stare which said he expected more. Damian didn't see it a lot and, for some unknown reason, it twisted something inside him. "Damian, you are not to speak to Mar'i like that. Now, you will be joining us for the movie and that is non-negotiable. And if you can't get through the movie like a civilised person then you won't be going on patrol."

Damian bit the inside of his lip to keep from retorting. Grayson couldn't keep him from patrol. Besides, he was civilised, it was Grayson's offspring who wasn't.

Dinner was eaten in silence with Mar'i and Damian glaring at each other. Grayson wasn't happy with how they seemed to be sizing each other up and wondered how he could get them to be friends.

* * *

Dessert was a disaster. Grayson glared at them with ice-cream dripping down his face and sprinkles dusting his hair. Mar'i froze and Damian backed off.

This was bad. Although part of him expected Grayson to smile and join in, another part recognised the glare as the Batman glare. It sent shivers down his spine.

"Uh, sorry Dad," Mar'i mumbled, looking down at her shoes. Damian glared right back at Grayson.

"What did you expect? I did not want ice-cream in the first place!" he shouted. "I do not want to watch a stupid movie and I do not care that your illegitimate offspring is visiting!"

Grayson raised an eyebrow. Mar'i glared at him, her cheeks puffed up and her mouth frowning in offence.

"And you are just mean!" she countered. "You get to see my daddy every day and you say mean words all the time. You are a bully and I don't like you!" Her hands curled into fists and started to glow.

"I don't like you either!"

"Both of you, go to your rooms!" Grayson ordered.

"But-" they protested in unison.

"Go! I will talk to you both later."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Damian plugged in his headphones and lay on his bed, furious. This was all the fault of that _girl child_! He hadn't done anything wrong! She had issued the challenge. Even if their weapons were whatever they could get their hands on. Like food.

His honour had demanded he meet her challenge.

"I don't want to hear any of your apologies," he growled as soon as his door opened a crack.

Grayson walked inside, completely ignoring how this was Damian's room.

"Good. I'm not here to give any," Grayson responded. His tone was between his everyday one and the one he used for Batman. It was strange to hear. Grayson sat down on the edge of Damian's bed and pulled his earbuds out of his ears.

Damian glared and bared his teeth.

"Don't," Grayson said. He then sighed. Damian noticed the lines in his face and the way Grayson's body language screamed 'tired'. It was a rare sight, one Damian was shocked to realise he hadn't seen before. Sure, Grayson had yawned in front of him and made jokes about being tired but Damian had never seen him so... weary. "I'm asking you to put up with Mar'i being here for just a few days. If you don't want to, you don't have to be included in our time together. But, I ask that you leave us alone if you're not going to join in. I do not get to see Mar'i a lot. I'm not in her life the way I try to be in yours."

Damian huffed. "Why not?" he demanded to know. It was important that Grayson stay with him because Damian wasn't old enough to be Batman and Gotham needed a Batman. However, Damian hadn't even heard of Mar'i before. Damian could tell, there was some piece of information he was missing.

Grayson looked away.

"Don't worry about it. That's between her, her mother and me." He then rose from his seated position. Damian rushed forward to grab at the man's shirt, suddenly feeling like Grayson was abandoning him. "Yes, Damian?"

Damian needed to think quickly to explain his reaction.

"We still need to patrol," he said. "Crime doesn't rest so neither do we."

Grayson gave him a weak smile.

"Maybe later. Get some rest first." When Damian didn't move, Grayson added, "you can't beat up the criminals if you aren't rested."

"Not true."

Dick seemed to ignore his final words and left. Damian stared at the door, wondering what had happened. There had been no shouting, he hadn't wanted to fight with his Grayson. Grayson didn't shout at him either.

A few days. Damian dropped down onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling as he thought. He could handle a few days, he was Damian Al Ghul Wayne, the current and best Robin. Mar'i was just a girl.

* * *

Batman and Robin returned from patrol, the air still heavy with whatever emotions had been flying around that night. Alfred greeted them upon their return.

"Master Richard, the young miss has tried to leave the building three times during your patrol."

"I see."

Damian looked up at Grayson, trying to gauge the emotions on his face. It was difficult, even though Grayson had pulled the cowl off. His mouth was in a thin line and he seemed focused on the distance.

"I'll go speak with her," Grayson said as he moved to take the uniform off. Damian watched him go.

"It is not easy, being separated from your child or your parent for a long time," Alfred commented in a wise tone.

"-tt- Whatever," Damian responded haughtily. His hand clenched into a fist as he thought about his own father. "I'm going to practise," he said. He had the urge to unleash deadly force against inanimate fighting robots.

* * *

Breakfast had been a silent affair. While that was the norm, both Grayson and Damian were usually tired come breakfast time, Damian had expected the girl to be full of energy. Instead, she had been silent. She ate her breakfast and then excused herself to her room.

Grayson followed a little later.

* * *

"I am a Princess of Tamaran! I can fight!"

Damian had not expected to be able to hear Mar'i's voice in the lounge. He was seated on the couch, reading the book on chess tactics Dick had bought him.

"I don't think _my mother_ would care if you did take me out to patrol, just once!" she argued.

"Mar'iander Grayson, I do not want to see you out there, risking your life! We have had this discussion a hundred times. My answer is 'no'! It is not going to change no matter how many times you ask!"

From the kitchen, Alfred sighed.

"And Master Dick was so adamant about not losing his temper," he mused in a knowing way.

"What are you dithering about, Pennyworth?" Damian demanded to know.

"Surely someone who has inherited detective skills like yourself should have realised that it is Miss Mar'i's birthday today." It was a slight change of subject; the subject still relevant to the conversation. Damian didn't notice.

He had not realised it was the girl's birthday. But he was not going to admit that. He guessed it explained why Mar'i came here and why Dick made trips to visit her.

"Master Dick told me a little of her past, just so I would know how best to approach her during this time."

There were a few moments silence before curiosity got the better of the young Robin.

"Well?" he said in a demanding tone.

"Mar'iander Grayson was born on Tamaran without her father's knowledge. When Koriander, you'd know her as Starfire, returned to Earth; she secretly brought their daughter with her. They currently live at an undisclosed location."

"'Undisclosed'?" Damian repeated. How could Alfred not know where it was?

"I didn't tell Alfred where they live," Grayson announced, walking into the room. Mar'i was nowhere to be seen. "And that's intentional. I don't want Mar'i pulled into this world of violence."

"What does Starfire think about that?" Damian asked.

Grayson was as silent as Alfred currently was, leaving Damian without an answer to his question.

"I'll go get her presents. Alfred, could you see if Mar'i would be willing to join us?" Another redirection.

"Of course."

Damian frowned as he watched Grayson go. There was that weariness again. Grayson was slightly slouched, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Damian didn't understand it. The weariness seemed to correlate with Mar'i's appearance. If so, why not leave Mar'i with her mother then?

"Damian, could you check on Miss Mar'i for me?"

"Me?"

"All you have to do is ask her to come and open her presents. I believe you are more than adequate for the task." Alfred seemed to be working on some kind of chocolate monstrosity.

Damian gave Alfred an annoyed look before stalking off to Mar'i's room. He banged on the door.

"Go away!"

Such a child. Damian made an annoyed sound before pulling out his lockpicks and unlocking the door.

Reflexes honed from being the heir to his grandfather's League of Assassins were the only things which kept him from getting blasted in the face.

"What do you think you're doing, stupid girl!" he growled at her.

"It's my room! You don't go barging into a girl's room without permission!" Mar'i yelled back, her green eyes glowing. "What are you even doing here? You don't care!"

"-tt-," Damian huffed. He crossed his arms and glared down at her as best he could. It was rather annoying that they were almost the same size when this birthday made her around two years younger than him. "Your father asked me to get you." A white lie. However, the instruction had come from Grayson and was just passed to him.

"So? He doesn't really care-"

"If he didn't care, you wouldn't be here right now," Damian snapped. This girl was like Todd and Drake. Grayson couldn't help caring, even when it disrupted their work as Batman and Robin. Damian couldn't wait until he was in charge. Todd would be in prison, Drake sent far away and he would be the Batman as he was intended to be.

Mar'i frowned at him, rubbing at her eyes every now and then as moments passed.

* * *

Damian didn't miss the surprise on Grayson's face when he walked into the room, tugging Mar'i along. Damian had grabbed her hand to pull her along because she had been walking too slow.

"Mar'i, are you okay?" Grayson asked, kneeling down and cupping his daughter's face with his hands. Damian bristled at the implication that he might have done something to her before he realised it was not what Grayson was implying. It was then Damian noticed the red rims around Mar'i's eyes. The stupid girl had been crying.

"-tt-." Damian turned to the small pile of presents. There were three of the brightly wrapped gifts.

"For me?" Mar'i asked once Grayson was done quietly chatting to her.

"For you, Starshine. Your mother's present is there." It was wrapped in plain silver paper and looked like a cube box. "While mine are the other two." Which were wrapped in gaudy paper with 'happy birthday' scrawled all over it.

Mar'i hugged her dad before picking up one of his presents to her. Damian sat cross-legged on the couch and plugged his headphones in. He watched as Mar'i smiled and unwrapped her presents.

The two gaudy wrapped presents opened to reveal a stuffed unicorn and a purple dress. The silver wrapped present revealed a purple headband.

"Your mother did say that you'd be getting another present when you returned home. She says I shouldn't get all the festivities to myself."

Mar'i laughed.

"Is it over?" Damian questioned.

"There's still cake, Damian," Grayson informed him as Alfred brought in the dessert. "And this time, kids, don't send it flying."

* * *

 **Notes:** This is not the end! There's more planned. Just thought I'd make that clear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Damian decided that birthdays were passable. Mar'i's birthday was alright. Cake was nice and he could sit in the corner with his earphones in his ears and ignore everyone and no one really seemed to care. Except for the time Grayson ordered him to sit at the table. Also when Grayson handed him a slice of cake. And tried to get him to sing some stupid song to Mar'i; 'Happy Birthday' or whatever.

Nonetheless, birthdays not his own were passable because Grayson didn't pay complete attention to him. After a short rest, Damian was certain his act of shoving his pillows under his covers would trick Grayson into believing he was sleeping.

1am. Damian had made it to the bunker and changed into his uniform. His plan was to sneak out. Tonight, Gotham would be guarded by Robin.

The streets were quiet. Robin jumped to the roof of the nearest building to get a better look.

It was then he noticed a dart of purple out the corner of his eye. He tossed a batarang at it.

"Ow! Watch where you toss those things, you could hurt someone!" Mar'i floated a little way above the roof, holding the batarang in her hand. Damian wasn't a fool, he knew she had caught it. Plucked it from the air like a flower.

"What are you doing here?" he growled at her.

"What does it look like? I'm following you," she responded.

"-tt- No you're not." He was not going to work on the mission with a literal flare trailing behind him. She wasn't even good as a distraction as Grayson would probably take Robin away from him if he let the girl get hurt. "Go home, girl and leave me to this."

"Girl?" Her hair lit up, further proving his hypothesis. She was mad and he wasn't the least bit intimidated. "My name is Mar'i."

"I do not care. Your father will have my uniform if I let you run around out here. How about I tie you up in the bunker?" He leapt to attack her.

Mar'i bobbed away like a balloon in the breeze.

"No way! I can help!"

Damian growled and tossed another batarang at her. She caught it in a midair twist, grabbing it and sending it flying back towards him in one smooth, round movement.

Damian had already moved long before the batarang hit the ground. He leapt and extended his jump-line, the grapple wrapping around Mar'i.

She cried out in pain and tugged at the line, even as Damian violently yanked her to the ground. She lay still.

"-tt-. See? You can't handle it out here."

The line went slack. Damian jumped back just in time as Mar'i rushed to her feet in a uppercut punch which could have taken his head off.

"That. Was. Mean," she growled, eyes glowing like fire in the darkness. Just looking at her was probably enough to destroy Damian's night vision. "I just want to help!"

Damian recognised the tone in her voice. It sounded like she was about to cry.

"Just go back to your father!" he bellowed at her. "Before I take you back!"

"If you could've, you would've," she responded haughtily.

He hated her. Damian was certain of that. This girl was nothing like Grayson. Her personality probably came from her harlot of a mother.

Damian pressed the hidden button on his belt which would alert his Batman, Grayson, to an emergency situation.

Nothing could go smoothly in Gotham. For the moment Damian pressed that button, a scream rang out.

* * *

Damian sprang into action, dashing across rooftops towards the voice. Mar'i flew behind him.

"No meta's in Gotham, you alien!" he shouted back at her before leaping down into the alleyway where he was certain the scream came from. "This is Batman's city!" He said it to her and the men in the alley.

"And yet, we have here a cocky little Robin," a man snarled.

Damian's ears range and his vision rippled as something hit him over the head. He should have seen that coming. He cursed his carelessness as he reached for something to fight this coward with.

He had two batarangs left. One, he shoved into the man's leg. He didn't need to see probably to figure out where his attacker was as the man's breathing was like a horn.

"Look out!"

The other man had been about to shoot him. Again, Damian had been lax and hadn't noticed he was armed.

Mar'i had dropped down from the sky like dark vengeance. Damian quickly fell his opponent and watched as she slipped under the man's grapples, having stolen his gun in the first few moves.

No powers, no flight. It was pure gravity and acrobatics.

She seemed to notice his shock and smiled.

"I'm a gymnast. Dad's been teaching me and putting together drills."

That... was so unfair. Damian had trained for months to be able to pull some of the stunts that Mar'i seemed to be able to improvise in the middle of battle.

Without training in battle too. Damian knew Grayson would never treat his child like a warrior or solider.

"You're going back to the tower," he stated in annoyance.

She looked shocked.

"Wha- But I helped you with these guys!"

"And if Gr-Batman found out, I'd be grounded." Not that Damian cared about groundings, this night being his case in point. He just didn't want her following him.

Would Grayson care if he knocked the girl out?

* * *

Mar'i wasn't flying. Damian was able to follow in her footsteps and question how it was that she was faster than him.

She looked like she was flying through the air. Damian caught a few times she used her flight to help her stick landings and cross rooftops if she fell a little short.

It was so unfair. If felt like those few times Grayson forgot he was there and quickly moved to where they were needed and Damian had to push himself just to keep up; not that he had ever told Grayson that. But it was tough and tiring and somehow more insulting when this girl-child did it.

"Girl! Get back here!" he bellowed. He was sick and tired of chasing this brat all over Gotham.

What if someone saw them? Like... Drake? Ew. At least Drake wasn't in the city.

"No way!" she shouted back.

Damian froze as a black shadow formed from the building. Mar'i just saw it as she landed on its rooftop.

She screamed and bolted in the other direction. Damian quickly moved to cut her off.

Her hands glowed purple and Damian readied himself for a fight.

"Stand down. Both of you," Batman growled out. Damian resisted the shiver which crawled up his spine as Batman glided over.

Mar'i screamed again and stomped her foot on the ground.

"I hate you!" she screamed, before shooting of into the air. Within moments, she was disappearing into Gotham's darkness.

The grim expression on Batman's face reminded Damian of his dead father. It was almost terrifying.

"Grayson, I-"

"We need to catch her," Batman growled. "Gotham is no place for her. Everything else can wait."

"Right," Damian responded, still hanging his head. He had disappointed his mentor, he could tell. He was still frustrated with himself and his inability to catch one untrained girl.

* * *

Instead of protecting the city, Damian spent his Robin hours chasing down Mar'i. The sun was poking over the horizon when they found her.

Batman didn't hesitate. He jumped down and grabbed her, ordering Robin to report the two criminals collapsed at the girl's feet to the police.

"No way!" Mar'i shouted as she struggled in Batman's arms. "I caught them! I should get to call."

"And how will you explain catching them, hm?" Batman questioned rhetorically. "Little girls should be in bed right now."

"Shut up, Dad!"

Damian was thinking about making a scathing comment on the girl's disrespect to her parents but, he knew he didn't respect his mother or father enough either. Parents just didn't get it sometimes.

"Oh great, now I'm sympathising with her," he grumbled. That was it, when he returned to the tower, he was going to lock himself in his room until the girl was gone. It was as simple as that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Grayson scolded them. Damian was forced to stand next to Mar'i and look like he was listening as Grayson growled at them for leaving the Penthouse. Mar'i grumbled a few things back but was unable to get much of a word in before Grayson silenced her.

At the end, Grayson sighed heavily. Damian frowned at the wary look which appeared on his features.

"Mar'i, I didn't bring you to Gotham in order to fight crime. I just... wanted to spend time with you."

Mar'i looked like she was going to cry. Damian rolled his eyes, ignoring the twisting in his chest.

"Tonight, you will both sleep in sleeping bags in my room. No more sneaking out. And tomorrow," Unsurprisingly Grayson turned to Mar'i. "You will pick an activity for us to do. During the day. It'll also be a movie night and Damian," Damian twitched to attention as Grayson looked at him. "Will pick the movie from a group of movies Alfred is going to put together."

"Why?" Damian questioned. "I'm not going to watch it."

"You are," Grayson said, his eyes hard. "Call it a punishment or whatever but you're staying with me and Mar'i tomorrow. Where I can keep an eye on you. No more sneaking out to fight crime alone."

Damian shot a glare at Mar'i. This was all her fault. When Grayson looked away, Mar'i stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

Alfred was assigned to watch Damian as he grabbed a pillow from his room and grumbled about ' _Grayson's power trip_ '.

Alfred stood and quietly listened until Damian ran out of complaints.

"You will be going tomorrow," Alfred informed him after he said he wouldn't. "Wherever the young miss chooses."

"What makes you so certain?" Damian snarled.

"You can remain here and assist me with the cleaning or you can go out and act like a Wayne, like your father's son."

Cleaning? Like a servant? Damian bristled at the suggestion. He was his father's son, of course!

"That's what I thought," Alfred commented with a twitch of his lips. He had given Damian the easy choice after all. Alfred hoped this would help Dick over the next day but he doubted it would be easy. The children didn't seem to like each other and Dick didn't want to impose on him by asking him to watch either of them. Alfred was a butler and not a nanny after all. Even though Alfred had offered his assistance as helping with the children _was_ part of a butler's job, Dick was still determined to not 'impose' on him.

Alfred could help out in small ways though. He was used to dealing with stubborn people.

Damian quietly followed Alfred to Dick's room. Mar'i had already set up her sleeping bag and was curled up in it, reminding Damian of a cat he once saw. The cat had been curled up inside a small box, it's fur puffed out everywhere.

"Does she shed?" Damian questioned, his nose scrunching up as he took it the expanse of Mar'i's hair over the sleeping bag and the floor.

"Set up your bag over there," Grayson informed him, pointing to a spot on the other side of the room. It was away from Mar'i and Damian gratefully dropped the sleeping bag onto the ground. Just when he thought Grayson had completely ignored his question, Damian received an answer, "and yes, she does."

"Dad!" Mar'i shot, flicking a hand out and firing a starbolt at him. Grayson calmly dodged, moving his head to the side.

"I do not believe all the hair in the sink yesterday was from Mar'iander," Alfred mused. "It was too short."

They all looked at Grayson, who gave a shy chuckle.

"All humans shed hair," Alfred said to Damian. "Sometimes, loose hair may lead Batman and Robin to a culprit."

Damian felt foolish for not realising that before and nodded sagely before straightening out under the cover of his sleeping bag.

"Goodnight everyone," Grayson said as the light went out.

"Night, dad," Mar'i mumbled sleepily.

Damian didn't respond, eyes open in the darkness. He didn't feel like sleeping with the fire girl so close. She could attack him in his sleep.

A while later, he realised that she wouldn't be able to attack him in this room without Grayson being disappointed in her.

Damian heard the sheets on Grayson's bed rustle.

"Go to sleep, Damian," Grayson mumbled at him, looking at him over the side of the bed. "You'll need your energy tomorrow."

* * *

Wayne Manor only covered a small part of the land owned by the Wayne family. There were forests and rivers and caves to explore.

It was important for Damian to know the land but he didn't really want to explore with the two Grayson idiots.

"Here's your hat," Grayson said to Mar'i, placing a large sunhat over her head.

"Dad!" she protested as the brim covered her eyes. "It's too big. And I don't need a hat, I'm half-Tamaranean!"

"Oh." Grayson slapped his forehead. "That's right." After a pause, he added, "are you sure you don't want to wear the hat?"

"I can't see," she reminded him as she took it off.

It was sickening. Damian's morning had been filled with moments like this. Mar'i had wanted to go to the park however, Grayson hadn't wanted to risk the tabloids spotting them. Instead, Grayson suggested going to the land near Wayne Manor. It was just like a park, minus the people.

Damian wished it was no people. Instead, he was stuck with these two.

"Let's play tag!" Mar'i laughed. She shoved him, almost toppling him with her alien strength. "Tag!"

"Damian's it!" Grayson announced and Mar'i ran off laughing.

They left Damian dumbfounded. Was 'tag' like rooftop tag but with all the challenge of catching Batman taken out of it?

Damian pondered this as he ran. He needed to decide quickly which Grayson he was going to chase.

Mar'i's hair flared in excitement and Damian made his choice. He jumped to the trees and followed her. Even if he wasn't able to see her, he would have been able to track her on giggles alone.

When she was in position, he leapt down towards her.

He hit the ground. Mar'i had done a front handspring out of the way.

"What the?" he gasped, ignoring the leaves covering his body. However, he did run a hand through his hair to dislodge the ones stuck there.

He could taste dirt and Mar'i's grin was really annoying.

"I'm a gymnast," she told him. If Damian had any doubts about her parentage, they would have dissolved in that moment. She was even more annoying than Grayson.

She was younger than him, for goodness sakes! He should be able to beat her blindfolded.

"Are you growling?" she questioned with a frown. "It's just a game."

"I do not want to play this stupid 'game'!" he spat back, adding a few phrases in other languages.

Mar'i still stared at him with that frowning expression. Then she leapt and pressed her lips to his. Damian just managed to shove her away as they made contact.

"What the? You're crazy!"

"I didn't know what you said!" she responded, stamping her foot lightly on the ground. "I can learn if I kiss you."

"That's crazy," Damian repeated, although he had read something about that in the notes about Starfire. He racked his brain trying to recall exactly what it was.

"Tamaraneans learn other languages through prolonged skin contact, although the fastest way is by a kiss," Grayson explained, dropping down from a nearby tree. He turned to Mar'i. "Starshine, kissing is for adults. I don't want you to do that again, okay?"

"Fine," Mar'i responded, her face puffing up as she frowned. She didn't get it but she agreed anyway because Grayson was her dad.

Damian furiously rubbed his lips.

"Ugh! Disgusting!"

"And Damian, you'll live," Grayson informed him jovially. Damian shot him a glare. It was still disgusting.

"As always, you make zero sense, Grayson."

"Thanks!"

"That wasn't a compliment," Damian said while Mar'i sighed at her dad.

Grayson shrugged and asked, "so, who's it?"

"Ma-"

"You're it!" Mar'i declared, touching the top of Damian's head. She had minimised the noise of her approach by flying at him. Like some kind of annoying balloon, every time Damian jumped to grab her, she bobbed away.

Mar'i landed and bolted off with a laugh.

"Get back here!" Damian bellowed at her in his best Batman impression. Which was as close to Batman as anyone could get due to his skills at mimicry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes** : This is the final chapter. I've started work on a sort-of sequel - a future fic of this universe where Mar'i is sixteen and has finally convinced her dad that she can do the vigilante thing. In Gotham. Her test to prove herself: get the Batman's approval or just get herself invited to the Batcave. Of course, she meets Damian again as well as other members of the Batman family.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Damian was tired. It had been a difficult day. Chasing down Mar'i had been harder than he expected but he finally caught her in the end.

Stupid Graysons. He wondered if they were born with the ability to soar through the air like that.

"Movie time!" Mar'i cheered, holding the DVD case close to her chest as she bounced around the room. "Movie, movie, movie!"

"Mar'i, I said Damian would get to pick the movie," Grayson said as he placed popcorn on the table. "And we're not watching that."

"But it's gotta cool picture of a spy on it!" Damian perked up at that. She was holding one of the movies he had been secretly wanting to watch.

"No spy movies!"

"Assassins?"

"No!"

"Why not?" Damian interrupted as Grayson just cut all his movie choices down without him even choosing.

Grayson twitched.

"Because I said so. Just… pick Disney or something, okay?"

"But no ' _Lion King'_!" Mar'i recited.

"Why?" Damian hadn't heard about that movie before. He wondered if there was something cool about it that Grayson didn't want them to know about.

Alfred chose to answer the question as he had walked in during the last two comments. He placed a stack of DVDs on the table before addressing Damian's question.

"There's a certain scene in that movie which Master Dick doesn't like."

"Come on, Alfred. That's when I was a kid."

Damian had no idea what kind of scene they were talking about. He gave Mar'i a questioning look and she completely ignored it. He didn't like that. He wanted a straight answer.

"Pick a movie," Grayson said to him. It seemed neither he nor Alfred were going to explain any more right now. Damian looked through the DVDs. All bright, childish cases with childish characters. He had no idea what some of the movies were about.

"They all sound boring," he said with a shrug. "Can I just read a book?"

"That sounds boring," Mar'i stated at him. Damian glared at her.

"No. It's educated and smart. Only a dumb girl like you finds books boring. What, can't you read?"

"I can read just fine!" Mar'i responded, eyes glowing their green. "And we're watching a movie! Dad decided it."

"And you do everything your _dad_ says?" Damian taunted.

Mar'i pounced. She was plucked out of the air by Grayson, who hoisted her onto his hip.

"Now, it's not good to attack people," Grayson said to his daughter, tapping a finger on the tip of her nose. "Same to you, Damian."

"I didn't do anything!" Damian shot back. Mar'i had been the one to pounce. Grayson flopped back on the couch with his daughter locked in his arms, waiting for Damian to pick the movie.

* * *

Damian just pulled a DVD from the stack as it was obvious that he wouldn't be allowed to leave. Then he sat on the couch and plugged his earphones in to listen to music.

Grayson pulled them out.

"Enjoy the movie, Damian," he suggested, "and have some popcorn."

Damian stared at the bowl of heated corn pieces. He took one and munched on it to make Grayson happy. It would be bland, if it didn't sting of salt and butter.

Part-way through the movie, he felt something hit his lap. It was a piece of popcorn.

He stared at it and then leant forward so he could see Mar'i. She was sitting on the other side of Grayson and was holding popcorn in her hand.

She smiled when she noticed him looking. She picked up a piece from her hand and tossed it over Grayson so it landed in his hair.

He could feel it the moment it landed. It felt uncomfortable and out of place. Pulling it out caused him to tug at his hair.

He flicked it back. She moved and he missed.

Mar'i stuck her tongue out at him.

He reached for a handful of popcorn, completely missing Grayson's smile as he did so. The bowl was now resting on Grayson's lap for ease of access while they were on the couch. None of them wanted to get up every time they wanted a handful of popcorn.

Damian glared his challenge at Mar'i. She smirked.

Damian popped a few pieces into his mouth. It was both to unnerve her and to make his coming attack unpredictable.

His attack hit its mark and Mar'i spluttered while he snickered. Her eyes glowed as she glared back at him.

"Mar'i, we need dark to watch the movie," Grayson said. A hand came down to pet her head and distract her gaze from Damian.

When the movie ended, Grayson didn't seem the least bit surprised to see the couch covered in pieces of popcorn.

"Okay, gather them up," he said to them. Before either of them could protest, Grayson pulled out two bowls. "Let's see who can pick up the most. Damian or Mar'i." He shook a bowl when he said their name so they knew where to put their pieces.

"-tt- Like I'm going to-"

Damian was interrupted by Mar'i grabbing as many pieces as she could and rushing over to place them in her bowl.

"I'm going to beat you, Wayne Brat!" she announced as she started gathering more pieces. When she noticed he didn't move, she added, "or are you too scared? I understand, I'm tough to beat-"

"Shut up, _girl_ ," Damian snidely interrupted. He calmly picked up a few pieces, looking around to make a game plan. He wasn't going to scramble around like a… _child_.

Dick smiled as he watched Mar'i scramble enthusiastically for pieces while Damian quietly gathered. He was starting to get the hang of parenting these two, troublesome children.

* * *

Grayson was careful in his counting.

"Damian wins," he finally announced.

"Ha!" Damian declared his victory by punching his fist up into the air. Mar'i groaned in disappointed.

"Again?" she asked hopefully. Damian's gaze shot to Grayson. He wouldn't mind a rematch but it was up to Grayson.

Grayson thought about it for a few moments before sighing and giving in.

"Okay." Alfred wasn't going to be happy about it but at least the kids seemed to be bonding.

Grayson tossed the contents of the bowls into the air and the contest started again.

* * *

Everyone slept in Grayson's room again. This time, Damian feel asleep easily.

That didn't mean he didn't sleep lightly. He woke the moment he felt someone beside him. It was the sound of her pyjamas rustling which first roused him. If that hadn't been enough, she started giggling. Clearly, Mar'i was up to something.

Judging by the sounds, she was right above him. Damian woke and jumped up all in the same moment. He reached out and grabbed the closest part of her which would hurt.

Her hair.

His hand threaded into and clutched a thick strand of her dark hair. Not one to hold back, Damian yanked.

Mar'i cried out and the light came on a moment later.

"He pulled my hair!"

"She was plotting something!" They both protested in the same moment.

Grayson was sitting up and looking sleepily down at the two children from his bed. He blinked blearily.

"Mar'i get back to bed. Both of you, go to sleep," he said in a low tone before rolling back over and going back to sleep.

Damian and Mar'i shared annoyed but resigned looks. Damian let go of her hair and she floated back over to her mattress.

"Do it again, and I'll tear your hair from your head," Damian threatened quietly.

"Damian!" Grayson barked, his voice slightly muffled by the mattress and sheets. "Go to sleep!"

* * *

The next morning was strange. The air seemed heavy. Mar'i seemed sad about something while even Grayson was quiet.

Damian questioned his memories over and over for whatever it was that caused this behaviour from the two Graysons. Unless it was a lack of sleep, he came up empty.

At the end of breakfast, Mar'i's eyes were watering and she was close to bursting into tears.

"Starshine," Grayson started in a soft tone.

That's all it took for her to start crying.

"What's wrong with you?" Damian snapped at her since Grayson didn't seem to know what to say. The older man looked shocked and guilty.

"I... I don't want to... go back to mum!" Mar'i cried. "I wanna, I wanna stay in Gotham!"

"Starshine, Gotham is dangerous-"

"But there's no one on the island except me and mum! I wanna meet people! And not through a screen."

Grayson gave a heavy sigh and lifted Mar'i up as best he could. He sat on her chair, his girl in his lap.

"Maybe mum and I will talk about alternative arrangements this evening," Grayson suggested. "Once you're back... home."

It was around then it clicked.

"Mar'i's leaving?" Damian questioned. There was a sad wonder to his voice. He hadn't expected it. No one had told him it would be today. He thought there were still a few more days.

Grayson nodded and explained that Starfire was already on her way to pick Mar'i up.

"She was only going to be here for a few days. Just for her birthday and our usual time together."

"It's not fair," Mar'i cried into her dad's chest.

"I know." Grayson ran his hand through her hair, like stroking a cat.

Damian thought about this. Mar'i was going to go with her mum. Possibly to some mostly uninhabited island. Maybe it was his own personal experience but, he didn't like it.

"If she doesn't want to go, why can't she stay here?" Damian asked.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Grayson responded.

Damian didn't get it. Mar'i had both a mother and a father. She should be allowed to choose.

"I don't get it," Damian commented to Alfred. Grayson was in his room, helping Mar'i pack.

"A broken relationship is not easy to fix. Especially one with a child caught in the middle," Alfred said by way of explanation. "Don't forget, Koriand'r probably missed her daughter these few days."

Damian mused on that for a few moments but it didn't help too much. He understood that Mar'i had a mother who really wanted her by her side as well and that Grayson was probably weak enough to let the mother have their daughter. But, that didn't seem to be what Mar'i wanted.

"Do not think about it too much, Master Damian. It is for them to work out. At least Master Dick thought to introduce his daughter to us as opposed to continuing to keep her a secret and missing out on this time."

"-tt- That Grayson managed to keep her a secret in the first place is baffling." Damian really thought that Grayson would be the kind of parent who wouldn't stop talking about their child.

"A parent's need to protect their child causes them to do whatever is necessary." Another thing Damian didn't really understand. Or really care about.

"Okay, Starfire just left and Mar'i gave me another heart attack," Grayson said as he walked in, clutching his chest comically. Damian was not impressed.

Alfred raised an eyebrow, conveying an almost silent, 'oh, really?'.

"She decided to jump off the building and fall as far as she could before flying off. Kori was shooting down to catch her when she finally decided to pull up. Oh!" Grayson pulled out his phone. "I got a picture of them flying, see?"

Damian could see the green and purple streaks in the sky he assumed were the alien and half-alien.

"Oh, and Alfred, remind me to call them this evening before we leave," to fight crime as Batman and Robin went unsaid.

"Of course," Alfred responded.

Damian couldn't help feeling that this was exactly the kind of parent Grayson should be.


End file.
